


into the light

by neradia3



Series: we can't touch them, they follow us [2]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Gen, Nightmare the ghost, Wild Pony, but not in the way you think, ghost au, insert evil laugh that's not actually an evil laugh just annoying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25205020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neradia3/pseuds/neradia3
Summary: Ghosts don't exist. Aliens, that's one thing. But ghosts? That's a stretch.or...After experiencing what Liz thinks is sleep paralysis, Rosa pays Maria a visit at the Wild Pony and learns the surprising truth about what she saw.
Relationships: Rosa Ortecho & Maria DeLuca
Series: we can't touch them, they follow us [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778236
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	into the light

Rosa doesn't know what to think. 

She wakes up to the sound of breathing that doesn't belong to her sister or herself. She remembers that Liz spent the night at Max's like she usually does. So when she opens her eyes, she fully expects it to be Arturo, coming in to wake her up to help open the Crashdown for the day. But it isn't. 

A figure, at about Rosa's height, stands at the corner of her bedroom. She can't see their face as if it's hidden in the shadows, as if they are standing in the dark despite the light peeking in from the bedroom window. They are covered in multiple colors of paint, splattered and doused. It kind of reminds Rosa of herself after she would tag a wall using her various alien and space themed stencils. Yet, the paint doesn't look like spray paint. It looks like actual paint, ones that are used on canvases. 

Rosa tries to talk to them, saying _Hi_ and _Who are you_ , but all she hears back is a haunting laugh. 

* * *

This figure is a woman, Rosa realizes, of a similar height and build as her. Rosa is getting ready for the day, and this woman, ghost thing is still standing in the corner of her bedroom, watching her. And every now and then, she laughs. It's one of those high school girl laughs, a laugh she's heard from many of the "popular" girls back in high school. 

She tries her best to ignore this ghost, if that's even what this woman is. Ghosts don't exist. Aliens, that's one thing. But ghosts? That's a stretch. But she's going to call the woman that anyway because what else is she going to call her? A nightmare? 

Maybe she can call her Nightmare. 

Right as she finishes changing and brushing out the knots in her hair, she rushes down stairs to the Crashdown. She needs to get out of her bedroom, hoping that Nightmare won't follow her. 

The Crashdown is empty, and Rosa doesn't remember what the clock said when she left her bedroom, but it must've been a time before the Crashdown opens, before Liz walks through--

Nevermind. 

The front door of the Crashdown swings open. Liz is already in her uniform and has a bag with her, probably holding the clothes that she wore the day before. Rosa watches Liz start for the back room and stops her. 

"Liz. Something crazy happened, and I don't know what's going on," Rosa says rather frantically. 

Liz can tell that Rosa is munching on her lip, a habit that tends to happen when Rosa is stressed about something. "Is everything okay? Are you feeling any urges to--"

"God, no. It has nothing to do with that." Rosa sighs, then shakes her head. "I s-saw something. I just... woke up this morning and this... shadow was standing in the corner of my room, laughing at me. And she just wouldn't stop. It was like one of those annoying school girl laughs. You know I hate that laugh."

"Rosa." Liz guides her to one of the nearby booths and sits her down before sitting down herself on the opposite side. "What you experienced is called sleep paralysis. It's when your body wakes up too soon from sleep and you can't move for a short--"

"Liz, I know what sleep paralysis is, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't that. No, I was able to move just fine when I woke up the morning. Even when I was out of bed, I still saw her, heard her." Liz opens her mouth to speak, but Rosa immediately interjects. "You know what, I think Maria might know what could be going on."

Liz raises her eyebrows. "What makes you think that Maria might know?"

"She's psychic."

"Well, technically she's one-eighth alien..."

"She's still psychic."

* * *

For the first time probably ever, Rosa isn't going to the Wild Pony for booze. 

When she walks in, it's completely empty, which she's not used to. Ten years ago before she died, she would come in while it was open and busy. Some guys would be playing pool and regulars would be sitting at the bar, piling more and more to their bar tabs, drink after drink. The last time she was in the Wild Pony those ten years ago was the night she died. She remembers writing some song lyric on her hand like she usually does and avoiding Isobel because, at that moment, she couldn't stand her. 

But now, Maria's behind the bar, wiping it down and checking to make sure everything is in place for when the Wild Pony opens tonight. She must've heard the door open because she responds to the noise with a "We're closed." Of course, she is too occupied to look up and see that her best friend is walking up to the bar. 

"So, I heard from around that there's a decent psychic that works here. I've been kinda hoping to get my future read. It's currently undetermined," Rosa says.

Maria lifts her head up, and a smile tugs at her lips. "Rosa! It's been awhile. Here, come sit." 

Rosa accepts her invitation and sits down at the bar. She watches as Maria does the last of her organizing before giving Rosa her full attention. "Yeah. It really has been. You know, I'm really sorry about springing the whole alien thing on you so suddenly, and I--"

"No. I'm glad that you told me. I mean, I needed some time to process it and all, but if you didn't tell me, no one else would've. It really sucks when all of your friends and your ex has been lying to you and keeping secrets about aliens being real." Maria shrugs. "I'm over it, especially now that I know I'm related to Isobel Evans of all people."

"And I thought bartenders were on the listener side of a conversation." Rosa chuckles. "I guess that doesn't apply when said bartender is your best friend." She pauses. "So... what's it like being related to the ice queen?"

Maria crosses her arms on the bar, leaning forward a bit. "Weird. Definitely weird. But is there something that you wanted to talk about? I'm assuming that that's why you're here."

Rosa nods and looks down at her lap. She hears it again, that laugh. Nightmare is around. Somewhere, yet Rosa can't see her. She doesn't want to see her because then she'll know for sure that she's there and not in her head.

She flinches, and Maria reaches a hand out towards her. "I'm okay." Although Rosa can't see it, she knows that Maria's hand is there, seeking out Rosa to comfort her. She probably feels her distress. Rosa still has her alien flower pollen necklace that somehow keeps her powers at bay. In a rush to get out of her bedroom this morning, she must've left it on her dresser. It's not around her neck like it should be. She should give it back to Maria, but her powers are still a bit all over the place. 

"You don't look okay." Maria tilts her head to the side, studying her best friend. 

"I mean, I've been okay," Rosa corrects. "Today is just... I don't even know."

Maria retracts her hand and turns to grab Rosa a glass of water. She slides it towards Rosa. "What's been going on? You know, you can tell me anything, right?"

Rosa's eyes meet with the clear surface of the water, seeing bits of her reflection. She wraps her hands around the glass, her nails tapping it. She doesn't want to hear that stupid laugh anymore. It's haunting, makes the hairs on her arms stand. 

She clears her throat and takes a sip, sighing at how nice the cold water feels being washed away down her throat. She sets the glass down. A thump of the glass connecting with the wood counter echoes in her ears. It's better than Nightmare's laugh. "When I woke up this morning, I saw something. No, someone. She's... kind of like... a um--"

"Ghost?"

Rosa shoots her head up, catching Nightmare's reflection in the mirror behind the many bottles of alcohol. She blinks and moves her eyes to be glued on to Maria. Nightmare's behind her, and although she's not that scary, just the thought of having someone standing behind you that no one else can see is creeping her out a bit. "Yeah. I guess that's how you can describe her." 

"What does she look like, Rosa?" Silence. "Is she here now?"

Rosa nods slowly. "Why am I seeing her, Maria?" she whispers, as if Nightmare can hear her. Can she hear her? "I just don't understand. Why have I never seen her before today? I m-mean, am I the only one that--? Do you--?"

Maria gives her a soft smile, hoping that it reassures Rosa a bit, comforts her, calms her. "I think everyone has their own ghost, even those that were once a ghost themselves and were brought back to life with alien magical healing powers." 

"Even Isobel, Michael, and Max?" Rosa asks.

"Yes. They might come from a different world, but I bet that that world has ghosts too." Maria leans forward over the counter. "You know, Rosa, most ghosts aren't actually what you think they are. They're not always people that have passed on. Sometimes, ghosts are a personal struggle, burden, past regret.

“The energy of those things grow to become something real, something human, and manifests into what we consider as a ghost. Their presence has nothing to do with wanting to cause you distress. They're there because your subconscious wants you to forgive whatever the source of the personal struggle, burden, or past regret is. Once you do, the ghost will move on, or go into the light." 

Rosa giggles and glances over her shoulder at Nightmare. Instead of running from her, she should embrace her, so she can learn to forgive. Well, she has to figure out why Nightmare is here first, what she means to Rosa. "Gosh, I knew it was a good idea to come to you about this." 

"I'm glad that you did, Rosa." Maria hums and goes back to cleaning off some of the glasses before placing them on the shelving behind the bar. "And know, this isn't just you. I have one too, and Isobel told me about her's the other day. She's so lucky that her ghost is a cute animal." She sighs and stops cleaning for a moment. "She also said that Alex has one too."

"Would be nice if mine was something cute and not this being that laughs at me. Or laughs in general." Rosa trails her index along the rim of her glass. It still looks full. She hasn't really touched it, water still floating about an inch from the top of the glass. "I'm curious. What's your's? Your ghost, I mean?" 

"Mine? She's an oracle." 


End file.
